Abstract

The Katageri Formation of the Badami Group contains abundant dolomites which are spread over a number of places, most typically at Konkankop village, Bijapur District of Karnataka. This dolomite member reaches a thickness of about 35 m, and unconformably overlies the Gokak Quartzarenite of the Ramdurg Formation and underlies the Halkurki Argillites of the Katageri Formation. Detailed palynological studies of the dolomite, attempted here for the first time, revealed the occurrence of as many as thirty taxa falling under nineteen genera: Baltisphaeridium, Micrhystridium, Schismatosphaeridium, Dactylofusa, Leiofusa, Leiovalia, Navifusa, Ooidium, Ovulum, Symplassosphaeridium, Pterospermopsis, Granomarginata, Kildinella, Leiosphaeridia, Macroptycha, Nucellosphaeridium, Protosphaeridium, Bion and Tasmanites.
Their morphosystematic study, comparative study of microbiota and biostratigraphic evaluation have provided data regarding the age of the rocks with which they are associated; accordingly, the age assignable to this Konkankop Dolomite could be Ordovician—Silurian.